Small Market Meetings February 2018 by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

r u o d Y F in e c a l P for

SPORTS EVENTS

Omaha, Nebraska App Update Southern Meeting Guide F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 8

Volume 19

Issue 2

February 2018

Meet Jason Outman

The Columbia, South Carolina, destination leader got his start in sports.

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Update Your Apps Here are 10 productivity tools meeting planners should have on their phones.

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Statewide Sports These states offer significant opportunities for amateur sports events.

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Courtesy Visit California

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Meet Like Ike The Eisenhower Presidential Library makes a patriotic meeting venue.

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Southern Meeting Guide Discover college towns, after-hours venues and golf destinations in the South.

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Courtesy Eisenhower Library and Museum

On the cover: Young athletes prepare for a baseball tournament in Ladera Ranch, California.

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS is published monthly by Pioneer Publishing, Inc., 301 E. High St., Lexington, KY 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified meeting planners who plan meetings in small and medium size towns and cities. All other meeting industry suppliers, including hotels, conference centers, convention centers, destinations, transportation companies, restaurants and other meeting industry-related companies may subscribe by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Small Market Meetings, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (866) 356-5128 (toll-free) or (859) 225-1452. Fax: (859) 253-0499. Copyright SMALL MARKET MEETINGS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner maclacy@grouptravelleader.com

Brian Jewell Editor brianj@grouptravelleader.com

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner hsparrow@grouptravelleader.com

David Brown Art Director production@smallmarketmeetings.com

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Pride of the Plains Omaha is Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital of culture, commerce and conference venues.

24 26

866-356-5128

kelly@grouptravelleader.com

Stacey Bowman Savannah Osbourn Account Manager Staff writer sales@smallmarketmeetings.com Christine Clough Copy editor Kelly Tyner Account Manager Rena Baer sales@smallmarketmeetings.com Proofreader

Ojai Valley Inn Building Culinary and Events Center OJAI, California — The Ojai Valley Inn has broken ground on a multiuse epicurean showplace, the Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn, set for debut events this year. Architect Howard Backen with Backen Gillam Kroeger in Napa Valley has designed the expansive 20,000-square-foot culinary and event center to connect food culture with indoor/outdoor functions. “It is a thrill to announce such a creative and ambitious continuation of Ojai’s valleyto-table culinary heritage,” said Alex Kim, managing director at the Ojai Valley Inn. “The Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn will provide spectacular new venues for our guests and even more exceptional culinary experiences. Our team of world-class chefs, along with some of the greatest culinary talent from around the globe, will reintroduce the Inn as the premier West Coast culinary destination.” The Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn is a connected natural campus of distinct spaces: the Kitchen, the Library, the Lawn and the Great Room — an expansive 8,500-square-foot multiuse ballroom space. The wood and glass barn-inspired structures feature a natural

ing up to 20, will serve as private dining and meeting areas. Additionally, tall sliding doors will open dramatically to the Lawn, which features expanded outdoor seating, a landscaped garden of native olive trees and lavender, an organic vegetable and herb garden and a 100-yearold oak tree anchoring the center focal point. “The magical surroundings and natural backdrop of Ojai is the main inspiration for the design of the Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn,” said Architectural Digest Awardwinning architect Backen, who is Courtesy Ojai Valley Inn known for his work on projects A new 20,000-square-foot culinary and event center is coming to California’s such as Archetype, Esperanza and Ojai Valley Inn. the Napa Valley Reserve in Napa Valley, palette of forest browns and grays, redwood among many others. “The consistently mild siding, 25-foot-high ceilings and exposed weather and expansive space allowed me to wooden trusses. The Kitchen is designed for open up the center and incorporate a natural open demo format, allowing up to 80 guests a aesthetic throughout with rustic, yet clean and front row seat to the chefs in action; the adjasimple, natural design.” www.ojairesort.com cent Library and garden courtyard, each seat-

Renovated Winston-Salem Convention Center Features Large-Scale Local Artwork WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina — As a City of Arts and Innovation, Winston-Salem has taken an inventive approach to the structural and interior improvements of the newly reinvented Benton Convention Center. While the architects and contractors were working on the $20 million, 18-month renovations, a team of art aficionados were reviewing custom pieces from numerous North Carolina-based artists to select those that best reflected the city’s vibrant and edgy spirit. The Benton was the natural canvas for this initiative taken by the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Public Art Commission, which curated the artwork. “Our community has been recognized for its exceptional creative influence in everything from the visual to performing arts,” said Richard Geiger, president of Visit Winston-Salem. “As a focal point in our downtown, it was critical that the reinvented Benton showcase and reflect Winston-Salem’s artistic undercurrent with bold interior design elements and artworks.”

February 2018

Local art is prominently displayed in Winston-Salem’s newly renovated Benton Convention Center. A total of 12 artworks are displayed throughout the Benton, among them a Winston-Salem original, “Art-o-mat,” one of 100 retired cigarette vending machines in the world that have been converted to vend original, handmade art. Other fitting works include painter Nico Amortegui’s mural “We, Winston-Salem,” which tell the story of the city through vivid colors and bold visual elements, and Dennis

Courtesy Visit Winston-Salem

Wells’ “In Her Own Words,” an oversized pen-and-ink silhouette comprising quotes of the late poet and Winston-Salem resident Maya Angelou. Photojournalist Christine Rucker’s captivating “Dance for the River: Blue Dress” brings together dance and nature to drive awareness and educate about water conservation in the nearby Yadkin Valley. A full listing of artists is available at www.reinventyourmeetings.com.

Meetings Leaders: Jason Outman September 26-28 By Rachel Carter

ason Outman got into the hospitality industry on a fluke. But that fluke proved fortuitous; Outman is now executive director of Experience Columbia SC. Outman applied to a job he thought was with Jason Outman the Georgia Dome, the former home of the Atlanta Falcons that was demolished in November. But the job was with the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), the city’s 3.9 million-square-foot convention complex. The Georgia World Congress Center Authority managed the Dome along with the convention center. “I had never been in a building that size,” he said with a laugh. Outman applied because his first love is sports. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan, just three miles from Spartan Stadium, home to Michigan State football. As a child, he played it all: baseball, football, soccer, even floor hockey. He attended college at Central Michigan University where he was a walk-on for the football team, although he never played in a game. Since sports played such a big part in his background, he gravitated toward it in his studies and earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management and communication from Central. “I had all intentions of being a college football coach; that was my goal in life,” Outman said. And he was for a few years, one year in Florida and two in Georgia. “But it never really took off,” he said. “So I actually ended up starting my career managing sports facilities.” Outman worked for a company managing multisport facilities in the Midwest that often hosted large tournaments and then was hired by the YMCA of Lansing. “I was 24 years old and really didn’t know what I was doing but had fun doing it,” he

Conference Report

Courtesy Experience Columbia SC

Jason Outman, right, led Columbia’s celebration of the solar eclipse last August. said. “That was kind of really where I got my start.” When he was hired as a sales manager at GWCC, his career path shifted, and he loved it. “I loved the process, loved the size of the building, loved meeting clients and loved bringing groups of 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 people to the Atlanta market,” he said. “It’s something I didn’t know anything about — didn’t have any education in it — but quickly fell in love with, making an economic impact in the community I lived in.” Outman considers himself more of an introvert than an extrovert, something he had to overcome when he was starting out in the business that he never meant to be in. His wife jokes that there are two Jasons; there is the quieter one at home, while “work Jason is a little bit more of a ham,” he recounted. He realized that he needed to find a personal way to communicate with clients. So he strived to learn about them, their interests and their families so he “could call them up on any day of the week and ask, ‘How did Timmy do in his baseball game?’” he said. Outman quickly moved up the ranks at GWCC and, by working closely with the Atlanta CVB, started to make the connection between venue sales and destination-level marketing. So when he was courted by colleagues at the Cobb CVB in north Atlanta to come on as director of trade show sales, “I

recognized it would give me the opportunity to start understanding the destination aspect of sales,” he said. After a couple years with Cobb County, Outman was once again recruited, this time to take on the role of director of sales for both the Columbia, South Carolina, CVB and the Columbia SC Metropolitan Convention Center. In 2010, Outman, his wife and their two children moved to the city of 135,000. He then became executive director of Experience Columbia SC in 2014. “My role has now expanded into more economic development and destination development,” he said. CVBs have morphed — or should morph — from heads-in-bed organizations to agencies that help shape their destinations. While CVBs still focus on the visitor, they also have a role in economic development, Outman said. Beyond being destination ambassadors, CVBs should be destination builders “because now we are trying to help bring those things here so our destination gets better.” After a dozen years in hospitality sales, Outman is as comfortable in the industry as he is with his other love: football. “I have an extreme comfort level in this industry, almost like when I talk about football,” he said. “I have found that comfort level in being able to talk about meetings and conventions and tourism.”

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Executive Profile NAME

Jason Outman

TITLE

Executive Director

ORGANIZATION Experience Columbia SC

LOCATION

Columbia, South Carolina

BORN 1977

EDUCATION

MBA in hospitality and tourism management from Strayer University; bachelor’s degree in sports management and communications from Central Michigan University

CAREER HISTORY

Executive director for Experience Columbia SC; director of sales for Experience Columbia SC; director of trade show sales for the Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau; national sales manager for the Georgia World Congress Center

FAMILY

Married for 17 years; two teenage children

HOBBIES

Golf, boating, attending all the kids’ sporting events, avid football fan

Tips from Jason Outman • Use the local convention and visitors bureau. The service is free, and they are there to help. As destination experts, they are your best resource for a successful meeting. • Identify the personalities of your attendees and build local activities around those personalities so attendees are all having an enjoyable experience. If they like craft beer, plan a tour of local breweries. If they enjoy the culinary scene, plan a dine-around or a food tour. Use the destination’s strengths that align with the personalities of the attendees for a rewarding experience. • Plan, plan, plan — not only with the organization’s planning committee but also with the host city. Make sure the expectations of the meeting are relayed to the host city and the host venue. This can be anything from feeling safe and secure to notifying local eateries that your group is in town. The more information that is shared, the more likely the event will be successful.

February 2018

Upgrades and Beyond

Look for these trends in the ever-changing hotel industry By Vickie Mitchell

ould you list Marriott or Sheraton as your second home? There’s no doubt that hotels are a large part of a meeting professional’s life. If you aren’t busy booking room blocks, negotiating rates and evaluating meeting spaces, you’re a guest yourself, calling for room service and connecting to the property’s Wi-Fi to do your work. And, although hotel stays are not always glamorous, they aren’t exactly a hardship either. The hotel business is competitive, and that makes most hotels, especially chain properties, work hard to outdo the property down the street. Guest rooms are remodeled, the newest in televisions and coffeemakers are ushered in, mattresses are regularly replaced, meeting spaces are revamped, restaurants are refreshed. Hotels constantly reinvest and reinvent themselves. So what will they be tinkering with this year? Here’s a look at a few expected trends.

Biophilic design goes far beyond a few potted plants, with green walls, indoor forests, scenic views, natural light, moving water and natural building products like wood and stone. Most hotels use biophilic design mainly in their lobbies because studies have shown it increases the amount of time a guest will spend there by 40 percent, which could generate more profits in terms of lobby bar and restaurant business. As a meeting planner, booking a hotel with an appealing lobby has a number of pluses. Pulling more attendees into the lobby means more networking and informal meetings, and more camaraderie and connections, all of which make people more satisfied with the conference and more likely to return next year. Also, many new hotels are taking aim at the massive millennial audience by emphasizing lobbies as gathering and co-working spaces as they downsize individual hotel rooms, some by as much as 50 percent.

Banging Hammers and Buzzing Saws

Cutting Down on Cookie-Cutter Experiences

Odds are good that you’ll run into renovation and construction at hotels this year, so it is more important than ever to ask whether your event dates coincide with a hotel’s projects. About one-third of them plan to renovate in the next 12 months, according to a Hotels magazine and Readex Research report. The theory is that social media has made the industry more likely to stay shipshape, proof that the possibility of a bad review on Trip Advisor can make properties less likely to delay needed upgrades.

Natural Appeal

Have you ever heard the term biophilic design? Me either. But in reading about hotel design trends, this term popped up repeatedly. Biophilia is the theory that humans naturally seek nature; biophilic design, then, incorporates natural elements like plants, water and natural light. A lot of hotels are sold on the concept, convinced by evidence that shows that biophilic design can decrease guest stress, improve air quality, lower energy costs and, perhaps most important, get more positive guest reviews.

MeetingPoint

There’s a lot being written about how millennials want more authentic experiences, which might explain why many of them book accommodations on Airbnb instead of rooms in the hotel block. An industry study showed that one in three guest rooms is booked outside the block. I’m not a millennial, but I, too, seek hotels that have local flavor. For example, a couple of years ago, I chose a small chain hotel in Columbus, Indiana, because its decor mirrored that town’s reputation for modern architecture. It also had a resident dog, a bichon frise named Miles. Hotels are paying attention to research that shows adding local art, local food and drink, programming partnerships with local attractions and other localized touches not only lures guests but makes them want to stay longer. There’s a new term for this type of hotel — bleisure — a property that appeals to business and leisure travelers. Vickie Mitchell is the former editor of Small Market Meetings. If you have ideas for future columns, contact her at vickie@smallmarketmeetings.com.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Download Now

These 10 apps boost meeting planner productivity

By Savannah Osbourn

inding the best smartphone apps can be challenging, especially when so many products offer similar features. However, it is well worth the effort to keep tabs on the latest trends. With the right apps in hand, business travelers and meeting planners can organize material, collaborate with colleagues and broadcast information at the touch of a button. To highlight some of the most useful apps on the market, we spoke with James Spellos, president of Meeting U, a company that educates clients on more efficient ways to use technology. One of the most indemand speakers in the meetings industry, Spellos leads over 150 seminars and classes each year. In 2015, he was named one of the most influential voices in the industry by Meetings Today magazine. Before you plan your next event, be sure to check out the following 10 must-have apps that Spellos recommends for every meeting professional.

February 2018

Using the right productivity apps can help meeting planners before and during important events.

Evernote

Evernote is one of the most established and widely used productivity apps, making it a great tool for event planners and attendees alike. The app facilitates real-time note taking so that attendees can annotate documents and share comments with colleagues during meetings or lectures. “It doesn’t matter what device you have — it works great on everything,” said Spellos. Users can also compile different forms of media into each note, such as text, photos, audio, PDFs and website links. Like Dropbox or Google Drive, Evernote automatically syncs with other devices, allowing users to access their notes from any location.

Slack

Since launching in 2014, Slack has rapidly gained traction as a team communication app and now supports over 9 million active users.

Apps such as Pocket and Slack offer meeting planners productivity options that work across all their devices. “Slack really is one of the best tools in terms of team-sharing,” said Spellos. “It’s truly revolutionary.” Featuring a clean and simple interface, the app consolidates several key components of project development, including group messaging, document annotation and calendar notifications, which can come in handy during a conference or meeting. If necessary, users can easily locate previous projects through a searchable archive of group conversations and work materials.

IFTTT

When your meeting enjoys the amenities of one of the Midwest’s fastest growing cities.

If This Then That, or IFTTT, could be defined as the productivity app of the future, enabling users to automate an enormous variety of tasks, from receiving a notification when the International Space Station passes over your house to automatically unmuting your phone when you leave the office. Compatible with over 500 other apps, IFTTT provides an invaluable tool for busy planners and attendees, who can program it to automatically save important files or photos to Dropbox, take shortcuts to frequently used notes on Evernote, tweet Instagram shots as native photos on Twitter and back up new phone contacts to a single Google document.

Pocket

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Managing Meetings

Previously known as Read It Later, Pocket allows users to compile a reading list of online articles, which is great for frequent travelers in search of short-form material to read between meetings or scheduled activities. “This app is one of the most underutilized content-sharing apps out there,” said Spellos. When users stumble across an article, a video or a recipe they want to view later, they simply hit the Pocket icon under the share option on their browser to save it to the app. In addition, the app does not need an internet connection to reopen the material, making it useful for airports and other travel stops with spotty Wi-Fi service.

Hootsuite

As many planners know, promoting events or venues on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and other social media sites can be a time-consuming endeavor. Enter Hootsuite, a marketing app that enables users to consolidate their social media accounts into one seamless platform. Instead of having to open and close different apps to create and monitor posts, users can flip through each social stream on a dashboardlike interface. Planners can also automate their posts to appear on different social media accounts at specific intervals throughout the event.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Speed Test

Wi-Fi service is critical for many meetings and events. Thanks to Speed Test, planners can test the speed of their internet connection at potential venues and troubleshoot the performance level promised by the vendor. With the tap of a button, users can evaluate connection consistency, download speed, upload speed and more based on realtime graphs. “Obviously, it’s a snapshot in time, since the results can be affected by other groups using the connection; but it’s still a great, quick test and free of charge,” said Spellos.

Prisma

Not every planner needs a professional photographer to produce high-quality, engaging snapshots of their event. With Prisma, attendees can transform simple phone pictures into dynamic works of art. The free photo-editing app uses artificial intelligence and a neural network to emulate the classic art styles of comics, anime, impressionism, watercolor and pencil, and works great with city scenes and interior settings such as restaurants or trade-show floors. Unlike some other photo-editing programs, Prisma is straightforward and easy to navigate. Users simply upload or take a photo, and then choose from over 40 themes to stylize the picture.

Pocket Planner

Developed by Social Tables and the Convention Industry Council (CIC), Pocket Planner is a free catering calculator that provides planners with a quick, accurate summary of how much food, beverage, rental space and staff they will require for their events. Based on CIC

February 2018

standards, the app calculates everything from how many pounds of ice to the number of buffet stations and trash cans will be needed. This invaluable product can save planners hours of research and preparation while making event details easy to access in the future.

Hopper

All travelers can appreciate a good deal on flights and hotels. Hopper makes travel planning simple by predicting the best time frame within which to book flights, sometimes saving up to 40 percent of average costs. After users enter their destination and regional airport into the app, Hopper sends push notifications when prices are about to drop. The Flex Watch feature allows users to register multiple date and airline choices so they can compare rates. Users can also scan their credit cards and book their flights directly through the app for easy purchasing.

Hipmunk

Founded in 2010, Hipmunk is another highly effective app for tracking down cheap airfare and travel deals. The app searches hundreds of travel sites to find affordable flights, rental cars, hotels and travel packages, displaying the results in a simple, attractive format. Hipmunk is one of the latest companies to embrace bot technology, featuring an artificial-intelligence-powered assistant called Hello Hipmunk. Hello Hipmunk integrates with apps like Facebook, Messenger and Slack, so planners can ask the chatbot questions as they converse with clients or colleagues about upcoming travel plans.

Players Welcome

These states have great facilities for large amateur sports events By Savannah Osbourn

ports events have always played a pivotal role in American culture. Nearly every state can claim a signature sport, from horse racing in Kentucky to surfing in Hawaii and mountain biking in Colorado. With so many athletic venues to choose from, sports planners should consider taking their team or organization to one of the following sportcentric states, which boast of first-rate facilities as well as long-standing reputations for hosting sports events.

Minnesota

Frequently ranked as one of the most active states in the United States, Minnesota attracts a wide variety of sports groups, from track cyclists to speed skaters and baseball players. In 2017, Minnesota was ranked second in the country by the League of American Bicyclists among states most friendly to bicyclists, with over 4,000 miles of paved trails and dozens of annual races. The state also prides itself on accommodating niche sports organizations, with unusual facilities not offered by every destination. The epicenter of Minnesota sports is the National Sports Center in Blaine, which is the largest amateur sports facility in the world. The 600-acre property encompasses over 50 full-size soccer fields, an eightsheet ice rink, an 18-hole golf course, a cycling velodrome and a con-

Meeting Ideas

Courtesy Explore Minnesota

Delano, Minnesota, plays host to numerous amateur baseball tournaments.

vention center. In July each year, the center hosts the Schwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s USA Cup, which involves more than 1,000 international youth soccer teams. The Amsoil Arena in Duluth is a top-quality venue for hockey, curling and skating competitions, and was recently named the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No. 1 college hockey arena by Stadium Journal for the second year in a row. The arena sits adjacent to the 60,000-square-foot City Side Convention Center and Harbor Side Convention Center on the banks of Lake Superior. In Rochester, volleyball teams can take advantage of the National Volleyball Center, next to Century High School, which accommodates volleyball events with world-class equipment, from Bio-Cushion II flooring to Olympic-quality lighting. Based at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds, the 100,000-square-foot Graham Arena Complex comprises four multipurpose arenas that frequently host hockey tournaments, boxing events, horse shows and dance competitions. The city of Mankato is another popular destination for amateur sports events, hosting seasonal sports throughout the year at the Verizon multipurpose arena, the Blakeslee football stadium, the All Seasons ice skating arena and the Franklin Rogers baseball park. www.mnsports.org

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy TN Dept. of Tourist Dev.

Knoxville is home to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the birthplace of basketball and volleyball, two of the world’s most popular sports, as well as home to four prominent professional sports teams: the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots. On Patriot’s Day in April each year, the capital city of Boston hosts the historic Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world. Thanks to the region’s extensive athletic history, sports planners will find a wide selection of distinct venues throughout the state. Based in the heart of downtown Worcester, the DCU Center is one of New England’s premier indoor arenas, often setting the stage for major concerts, trade shows and sports competitions. In addition to the sports facility, the center provides over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space with on-site catering. In Roxbury Crossing, the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center hosts over 90 high school, collegiate and national track meets each year; past events have included the USA Track and Field Championship, the Boston Indoor Games and the NCAA Division II Championship. Home of the Springfield Thunderbirds, the MassMutual Center in Springfield hosts over 100 annual events in its 8,000-seat arena, which can be reconfigured to accommodate different seating arrangements. The

February 2018

6,500-seat Tsongas Center in Lowell is another spacious, multipurpose arena, with elegant meeting space overlooking the Merrimack River. www.masportsoffice.com

Tennessee

Tennessee may be known for its vibrant music culture and historic homes, but the state is also gaining traction as a leading meeting and event destination. The state’s picturesque midsize towns often provide excellent facilities for affordable prices, making them a good choice for amateur sporting events. Women’s basketball is one of the most celebrated sports in Tennessee. Groups can visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, which commemorates the achievements of female basketball players from around the world. Knoxville has hosted premier events such as USA Cycling competitions, Rev3 Triathlon, AAU Junior Olympic Games and the USA Diving National Championship. The Thomas-Boling Arena, home of the University of Tennessee men’s and women’s basketball teams, is the second-largest campus basketball facility in the nation. Known as the Sports Capital of Tennessee, Rutherford County caters to a broad spectrum of sports, including soccer, baseball, football, golf, tennis, track and field, volleyball, cheerleading, disc golf and eques-

Courtesy Visit California

Sports event organizers can make use of the professional facilities at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

trian events. The city was named one of the best sports cities in the United States by Sporting News and one of Livability.com’s Top 10 Soccer Cities. The 137-acre Richard Siegel Soccer Complex is one of Rutherford County’s largest sports venues, comprising 15 soccer fields and a championship soccer stadium. Tennis players will find all the space they need at the Adams Tennis Complex, which has 24 outdoor tennis courts and eight indoor courts. Rutherford County also opened the state’s first two FootGolf courses; the sport combines soccer and golf. A few other notable venues can be found in Franklin. The AG Expo Center hosts around 45 major events each year, from volleyball matches to high school rodeo tournaments and wrestling championships. Jim Warren Park encompasses a 48-acre property with 12 baseball fields, four football fields, eight tennis courts, walking trails, playgrounds and more. www.tnvacation.com

Utah

race into your next adventure

justin stine, meetings & sports sales manager 913.321.5800 | justin@ visitkansascityks.com visitkansasCitykS.com/ meetings

Meeting Ideas

Renowned for its rugged natural beauty, Utah is a haven for active travelers, drawing thousands of visitors each year to its magnificent ski slopes and mountain biking trails. The state is also home to the “Mighty Five” national parks — Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon —

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy MA Office of Travel & Tourism

Boston Marathon participants make use of hotels and amenities in several smaller communities surrounding the city. which some consider the most outstanding collection of national parks in the country. Utah played host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, and sports groups can take advantage of the world-class facilities in nearby communities where many of these prestigious events took place, including Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval, Peaks Ice Arena, Deer Valley Resort and Soldier Hollow. Utah Olympic Park is in Park City, about 30 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport. During the Olympic Games, the park hosted bobsled, skeleton, luge and Nordic ski jumping events. Visitors can tour an on-site museum, take on an aerial adventure challenge and even ride down the Olympic tracks in a bobsled with a professional pilot. Originally designed to host Olympic speedskating competitions, the nearby Utah Olympic Oval now serves as a multipurpose recreational complex; groups that visit can practice curling, hockey and competitive skating. The Peaks Ice Arena in Provo is another popular venue for skating and ice hockey. In Ogden, the Dee Events Center at Weber State University is the largest multipurpose arena in Utah north of Salt Lake City and one of the foremost basketball facilities in the West. It has hosted several Big Sky Championships, NCAA tournaments and high school competitions over the years. The Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy offers an excellent open-air venue for concerts, corporate events and amateur soccer games. www.utahsportscommission.com

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California

The Golden State enjoys unparalleled athletic credentials, boasting some of the most respected college sports programs in the

February 2018

BMC VB.com 15

Courtesy UT Office of Tourism

Utah’s Soldier Valley can accommodate a wide variety of winter sports events.

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Meeting Ideas

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United States. In addition to having hosted the Olympic Games four times, California now houses 19 major professional sport franchises, as well as many of the finest sports facilities available. Within minutes of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, the 242,000-squarefoot American Sports Center is the largest indoor court facility in the world. The complex contains 34 volleyball courts that can be converted into 25 basketball courts, as well as nine indoor soccer or futsal courts. Nearby, groups can also visit or book an event at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, one of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most historic ballparks. Based in Oceanside on a beautiful 97-acre property, the SoCal Sports Complex is considered one of the most distinguished soccer, lacrosse and rugby venues on the West Coast. The complex entails 21 full-size multisport fields that host numerous tournaments throughout the year, such as the famous San Diego Surf Cup. Though smaller than some of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other sports venues, the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale offers more versatility; the 10 synthetic turf fields, prelined for flag football, lacrosse, soccer and softball, can be transformed into baseball fields as well. In Norco, the 130acre SilverLakes Sports Complex includes 24 full-size soccer fields, five equestrian arenas, a 250-seat restaurant and a concert venue, providing a scenic retreat for everything from car shows to weddings and equestrian competitions. Just 20 minutes from Long Beach and Anaheim, the Next Level Sports Complex Orange County in Garden Grove offers a spacious indoor facility with 11 hardwood basketball courts that can be converted into 14 volleyball courts and four turf fields for soccer. www.visitcalifornia.com albany cap center 2018 feb half page.pdf 1 1/22/2018 3:03:58 PM

Courtesy UT Office of Tourism

Biking event organizers can take advantage of the stunning scenery in Moab for races.

CMY

February 2018

PRIDE OF THE PLAINS By Elizabeth Hey

Omaha offers value and amenities to groups meeting in middle America

Omaha is the cultural and culinary capital of Nebraska.

Destination Showcase

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“The convention district is located 4.7 miles from the airport, and it’s within walking distance of Omaha’s Old Market Entertainment District, bursting with boutiques, galleries, restaurants and taverns.”

s Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha is often considered one of the Consistently ranked as one of the top beer bars in the country by Draft best “bang-for-the-buck” metropolitan areas in the nation. magazine, it’s above Huber Haus, an authentic German beer hall that This Midwestern metropolis melds a sophisticated culinary serves German beers on tap and brats. and arts scene alongside its pioneering history Downtown Convention District and genuine friendliness. Vibrant museums, Omaha has 43 hotels with meeting space concert venues, sporting events and theater suitable for a variety of groups. On the Visit provide an ever-changing calendar. Omaha website, there’s a tool that can Omaha was founded in 1854, although the help planners determine and compare properLewis and Clark expedition passed by the rivties based on a group’s needs. Omaha’s conerfront location before that. Today, Omaha vention district offers numerous options and claims a stop on the Lewis and Clark National lies within walking distance of the Old Market Historic Trail. During the Cold War, the city’s and many other attractions, restaurants and suburb became home to the Strategic Air entertainment venues. Command, which offers an unusual group “CenturyLink Center Omaha is more than venue for off-site activities and events. your average convention center,” said Cathy “Omaha’s downtown convention district Keller. “It’s 346,000 square feet of possibilities. delivers a convenient and seamless package It also includes 194,000 square feet of exhibit for meeting and event planners,” said Cathy space and an attached 18,300-seat arena.” Keller, vice president of sales and services for The 600-room Hilton Omaha connects to Visit Omaha. “The convention district is locatthe Century Link arena by way of an enclosed ed 4.7 miles from the airport, and it’s within walkway. walking distance of Omaha’s Old Market The hotel has over 39,000 square feet of flexEntertainment District, bursting with bouible meeting space and lies within walking tiques, galleries, restaurants and taverns.” distance of TD Ameritrade Park and the At Omaha’s heart, 20 square blocks make up Holland Performing Arts Center. The staff the historic Old Market, where shops, pubs, Groups can hold events at Lauritzen Gardens. offers a free airport shuttle, and the health restaurants and entertainment line the brick club and spa features an indoor salt-water streets. Attendees can browse bookstores or All photos courtesy Visit Omaha pool plus a full-service, 6,000-square-foot fitbakeries, art galleries or antiques, clothing or ness center. collectibles. Groups can dine in the more than The newly opened, 333-room Capitol District 30 restaurants, which include such wideMarriott offers 17,000 square feet of flexible ranging choices as original steakhouses, local LOCATION meeting space. Directly across from the conpubs, quaint cafes and jazz clubs. Eastern Nebraska vention center, the Marriott is the first phase of Midtown Crossing, several miles from the ACCESS a new $205 million entertainment district that Old Market and anchored by the LEED SilverEpperly Airfield Omaha Airport; is quickly taking shape. When complete, the certified Element Hotel, offers a one-stop desI-80 and I-29 Capitol District will include apartments, retailtination for dining, shopping and outdoor MAJOR MEETING SPACES ers, restaurants and an outdoor entertainment entertainment. In midsummer, audiences jam CenturyLink Center, venue that offers ice skating in the winter and at free concerts headlined by national and numerous convention hotels outdoor concerts throughout the summer. local jazz musicians at Jazz on the Green. July’s HOTEL ROOMS “The Capitol District Marriott, which opened Playing With Fire weekend features blues, 15,246 metropolitan-area hotel rooms, in August of 2017, offers meeting planrock, funk, R & B and soul. The Night Market 3,000 downtown ners another full-service hotel option directly takes place one Friday each month May OFFSITE VENUES across the street from the convention center through September in Turner Park, with shopOmaha Zoo, Joslyn Art Museum, and within blocks of the Old Market,” said ping, live music, outdoor games, themed food Lauritzen Gardens, Durham Museum Keller. and moonlight yoga. CONTACT INFO Prepare to be indulged at boutique Hotel The Reuben sandwich was created back in Visit Omaha Deco XV, across the street from the Orpheum the 1920s in the historic Blackstone District, 866-937-6624 Theatre. Constructed in 1930 and listed on the Omaha’s newest go-to spot. The original recipe www.visitomaha.com National Register of Historic Places, this Art can be tasted at the Crescent Moon Alehouse.

Omaha, Nebraska

February 2018

Omaha’s CenturyLink Center is connected to a Hilton hotel.

“We offer ultimate flexibility by allowing clients to work with their own preferred vendors, such as caterers, florists and musicians.” Deco hotel recently completed a total renovation. Sleek room decor in sophisticated grays is punctuated with custom artwork and upscale spa showers. Perks include complimentary valet parking and fine dining at the Monarch Prime and Bar. Event spaces can accommodate 40 to 175 people, and the main floor and bar area includes a generous mezzanine. With architecture inspired by Italy’s Bargello Palace, the 145-room Magnolia Hotel receives many accolades for its location near downtown’s major corporate headquarters and offices. Event spaces total 8,000 square feet, and the ballroom accommodates up to 150 attendees. An outdoor courtyard can also be reserved during warmer months. Complimentary services include airport transportation, full breakfast buffet, beer and wine reception, and complimentary milk and cookies in the evening.

After the Meeting

Affectionately nicknamed Bob Bridge, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge lies within walking distance of the convention district. The 3,000-foot-long suspension bridge spans the Missouri River, giving pedestrians a spectacular, almost airborne experience. The bridge plaza features a small amphitheater and 26 dancing water jets. Connected to

Destination Showcase

more than 150 miles of nature trails, this unusual off-site space hosts festivals, concerts and events. The Hot Shops Art Center houses over 80 studio artists in a warehouse atmosphere. Creative experiences can be customized for groups. Hands-on art experiences include sculpting hot molten glass, molding pottery, playing African drums, and creating metal and wood sculptures. Hot Shops lends itself to creative team-building experiences and can easily accommodate groups of from 10 to 200 people. Rated as one of the world’s top zoos, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a biological park dedicated to conservation. The new $73 million urban safari, African Grassland, invites close-up viewing, and Skyfari, an open-air chairlift, affords a different vantage point. In inclement weather, your group can encounter more than exotic animals, lush plants and balmy surroundings while strolling through the world’s largest Desert Dome and the nation’s largest indoor rain forest at the Lied Jungle, which re-creates the habitats of Asia, Africa and South America. At the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, 30 minutes west of downtown in Ashland, Nebraska, visitors can see 35 military aircraft in two hangars. It’s all part of the museum’s outstanding Cold War collection. A new 3-D, 360-degree simulator that offers 20 different

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The Durham Museum is located in Omaha’s historic Union Station. rides includes flying a “Hellcat” into combat. Former military pilots and crew members lead free tours.

Creative Spaces

Off-site venues for kicking back and holding events take many different forms in Omaha. Teamwork and food go hand in hand at Omaha Culinary Tours. Smaller groups can make a gourmet meal in a three- to four-hour cooking class. Larger groups, up to 40 people, can enjoy a chef-led demo and concluding dinner. Tasting tours can accommodate up to 100 people split up among several guides, or they can feature a round-robin restaurant tour or progressive dinner. “Our tours are customizable, including the time spent and the number of stops,” said owner Suzy Allen. “For instance, one group started with cocktails, participated in the Locked Room escape activity and finished with tastings at three restaurants before we delivered them back to their hotel.” The Durham, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, houses train cars, special exhibits and a working 1930s soda fountain. It’s in the Art Decostyle Union Station, which once served as the Union Pacific Railroad hub. Numerous spaces include the Great Hall, which accommodates up to 450 guests for a sit-down dinner or up to 600 for a cocktail reception; the Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall for presentations; and a 40-person conference room. “We offer ultimate flexibility by allowing clients to work with their own preferred vendors, such as caterers, florists and musicians,” said Jessica Brummer, director of marketing and public relations for the museum. Just south of downtown and near the zoo, Lauritzen Gardens encompasses more than 100 acres of botanical beauty that overlooks the Missouri River Valley. Outdoor meetings and events here are creative and fragrant. The new $31 million glass conservatory is a four-season, 17,500-square-foot walkable work of art. Filled with unusual and rare plant life, it showcases a 10-foot-high waterfall. Outdoor gardens include a model railroad garden, a Victorian garden, a woodland trail and an arboretum.

February 2018

DE E P R A C FERENCE

CON

DIEM

The status quo doesn’t get to be extraordinary. But you do. Centrally located and insanely affordable, Nebraska’s capital has the venue selection, entertainment value, small-town hospitality, and big-city amenities that planners and attendees come home raving about.

Plan for more at

lincoln.org/meet.

Go West to Flagstaff, Arizona By Katherine Tandy Brown All photos courtesy Flagstaff CVB

Above: Its location on Route 66 makes Flagstaff a popular road trip destination. Left: Flagstaff is surrounded by the San Francisco Peaks.

F L A G S T A F F , A R I Z O N A LOCATION Northern Arizona, 81 miles from the Grand Canyon ACCESS Interstates 40 and 17, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Amtrak Station MAJOR MEETING SPACES High Country Conference Center, Little America Hotel, Doubletree Suites HOTEL ROOMS 5,300 OFF-SITE VENUES Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, Northern Arizona University CONTACT INFO Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau 800-217-2367 www.flagstaffarizona.org

Destination Showcase

ure American West, Flagstaff, considered the hub of northern Arizona, lies amid some of the nation’s most gorgeous scenery. There’s the Coconino National Forest, the San Francisco Peaks, four national monuments and milewide Meteor Crater. Nearby are the Red Rocks of Sedona and the wide, craggy desert, long inhabited by Native American nations. And then there’s the Grand Canyon, perhaps Earth’s greatest geological showcase. “Flagstaff is not what you’d expect when traveling to Arizona,” said Jessica Young, sales and marketing manager for meetings and events for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’re an artsy community with a small-town feel that is located in the world’s largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest with mountains all around. We’re a terrific four-season, outdoor destination.” A year-round playground itself, the Arizona Snowbowl boasts 260 inches of annual snowfall. Wintertime brings exquisite downhill and cross-country skiing, with breathtaking scenery from a chairlift in summer and fall. Four lodges provide inside and outside mountain-view meeting spaces for 40 to 6,500 attendees. At 160-acre Bearizona Wildlife Park, groups can observe bears, bison, wolves and mountain goats roaming their natural habitat, then watch an intriguing birds-of-prey show. Flagstaff’s major meetings facility, the High Country Conference Center near downtown, is connected by a skywalk to the 160-guest-room Drury Hotel, a bonus for planners seeking room blocks. The center’s 10,500-square-foot ballroom can accommodate 800. After meetings, attendees can stroll to historic attractions and nightlife. Once known as the Mother Road, Route 66 bisects the city of Flagstaff. Quirky roadside attractions and to-die-for scenery still line the iconic route as in its heyday. Planners can arrange hiking and mountain bike and ATV rentals. Northern Arizona University mixes it up with fun-to-watch Lumberjack athletic events and performing arts. All this is merely 81 miles from the Grand Canyon. Groups can take a vintage train into the canyon and then saddle up for a guided trail ride, or take a day tour and watch rock layers change color in the setting sun. For not-so-outdoorsy types, the Flagstaff-Grand Canyon Ale Trail is a milelong, level walking trail in downtown Flagstaff, with microbreweries where guests sample as they go. “Flagstaff is a great hub-and-spoke with lots of pre- and post-conference activities and day-trip options for groups and spouses,” Young said.

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A traveler stops at a scenic overlook at Walnut Canyon National Monument.

High Country Conference Center

Other Major Meeting Sites

With 25,900 square feet of flexible meeting space, the High Country Conference Center is the area’s largest such facility and can also partner with Northern Arizona University to offer meeting planners even more space, including two auditoriums and a grassy outdoor area good for summertime corporate barbecues. IACC- and Gold LEEDcertified, the center will complete a $600,000-plus renovation in March that includes upgrades to cutting-edge technology throughout. “Our competitors have hotel space also, so their focus has to be on meetings and lodging,” said general manager Scott Thomson. “We take pride in the fact that our sole focus is putting on great meetings, conventions and events.”

Tucked into 500 acres of pine forest, the Little America Hotel has undergone a complete facelift in 2017. The independent, familyowned property added three meeting rooms — for a total of 10 rooms and 13,000 square feet of space — and a new restaurant, and upgraded its lobby and all 247 guest rooms. Seven are suites. A 5,100-squarefoot lawn can hold up to 500 guests. “It’s a totally new hotel,” said Jessica Young, sales and marketing manager for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. Also newly renovated, the 183-guest-room Doubletree by Hilton has 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Off-site Venues

Team Building

Famous for discovering the dwarf planet Pluto, the Lowell Observatory offers year-round telescope viewing and guided tours through the Discovery Channel telescope. Its historic Rotunda Museum can accommodate 1,600 standing, or a lecturer can bring a smaller telescope to a meeting off-site. For an intimate peek into the beautiful diversity of the Colorado Plateau, the Museum of Northern Arizona is all Native American artifacts, art and information on area-related natural sciences. Groups can meet in a spacious auditorium or a more intimate room for 40. The founder’s historic Colton House is a beautifully appointed space for small retreats with space for receptions of up to 75 people and even has overnight guest rooms.

At Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course, individuals can participate at any skill level. Seventy-plus aerial challenges, color-coded for degree of difficulty, await corporate groups. Suspended in the tall pines at 15 to 60 feet off the ground, these elements include bridges, swings, slides, nets, zip lines and an aerial surfboard, all designed to help attendees push their limits and overcome fear in a supportive environment. Teams of up to 14 can stick to terra firma on an Alpine Pedaler. A human-powered party on wheels, the cycle bumps through downtown Flagstaff, crawling to pubs or restaurants. There’s no extra charge for raucous laughter.

February 2018

A Legacy of Leadership

By Kristy Alpert

y the time Dwight D. Eisenhower took the oath of office to become the 34th president of the United States on January 20, 1953, the world was entangled in the throes of the Korean War, and the civil rights movement was just starting to gain momentum. The nation needed a leader, and all eyes were on the man who had served as chief of staff of the U.S. Army and as the supreme Allied commander during World War II. Eisenhower spent two terms in the White House, where he made a name for himself as a popular president and one of the greatest leaders in the nation’s history. Today his legacy lives on not only in the hearts of Americans, but also in the halls of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas. Encompassing five separate buildings that feature Kansas limestone exteriors and Roman-travertine-trimmed flooring, the complex spans 22 acres and takes visitors on a journey through Eisenhower’s life. More than 26 million pages of archives and over 75,000 artifacts relating to the president are on display throughout the buildings, where guests can spend their time traversing his boyhood home, the museum, the research library, the visitors center with a presidential gift shop and introductory film and, finally, the Place of Meditation, where

Venue Showcase

Photos courtesy Eisenhower Library and Museum

Above: The Eisenhower Library and Museum includes the president’s boyhood home. Left: Exhibits at the museum include Eisenhower family photographs.

the president, the first lady and their firstborn son were laid to rest. Groups looking for more from the experience can rent many of the public spaces within the library and museum to host a power meeting, a grand event or an Eisenhower-inspired conference of their own. Eisenhower was very much involved in the overall vision for the campus, and today, the complex offers amazing opportunities to mix history and culture while enhancing business meetings and social events with a legacy of leadership in a one-of-a-kind venue.

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Meeting Spaces There are six separate spaces available for rent at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home for events with a cultural, recreational, corporate and/or educational theme. The Visitor’s Center Auditorium can be divided into two rooms to accommodate up to 300 guests, and the Museum Classroom works well

for smaller groups of up to 80 guests. Within the library building, groups of up to 300 guests can meet beneath the fine crystal chandelier in the two-story courtyard and extend the event into the lobby; as many as 24 guests can meet in the conference room, and up to 132 in the auditorium.

Catering The meeting facilities at the Eisenhower Presidential Library feature a catering kitchen for use during events, so planners are free to hire any number of local restaurants or caterers for each function. Popular options include the Brookville Hotel, which is famous for fried chicken and sweet-and-sour coleslaw; Amanda’s Bakery and Bistro, which offers a range of

boxed lunches and breakfast pastries — try its Kirby House coconut walnut bread; and Mr. K’s Farmhouse, which has become a local institution best known for its homemade desserts and was a favorite of Eisenhower while he was in town. Alcohol is permitted in an open-bar setting, and service must end no later than 30 minutes before the end of the event.

Before and After Events

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library LOCATION

The 22-acre campus provides an extraordinary opportunity for meeting guests to explore and stretch their legs before and after events with visits to the exhibits and the gift shop. In addition, the Eisenhower Presidential Library is within one block of the Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum, the Abilene and Smoky Valley Rail Road, the

Old Abilene Town and the Dickinson County Heritage Center. Groups meeting in Abilene can also request a special evening group tour of Abilene’s historic Seelye Mansion; many of the home’s furnishings were purchased at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

Abilene, Kansas

TYPE OF VENUE

Off-site, library and museum

CAPACITY 300

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS Holiday Inn Express and Suites Abilene

CONTACT INFO

785-263-6700 www.eisenhower.archives.gov

February 2018

Extras The events and meetings team at the Eisenhower Presidential Library can work with groups to provide several extras, depending on the group’s schedule and needs. Examples include a private after-hours group tour of the facility, special White Glove

artifact show and tell, and admission to public programs. Guests are also welcome to explore on their own and get a glimpse into the childhood home of the 34th president, a building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Groups can meet on the shaded, serene campus at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Courtesy Chapel Hill/Orange Co. VB

Southern School Spirit By Rachel Carter

ollege campuses inherently have a youthful vibe and a fresh vitality. Meeting planners love all that college towns have to offer, and meeting attendees love to tap into that energy.

These Southern college towns always offer activities and entertainment, and campuses have resources that can support planners with a plethora of meeting facilities, catering, team building and group tours.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The North Carolina legislature chartered its first university in 1789, and construction on the campus in Chapel Hill began in 1793. The University of North Carolina (UNC) is the first public university in the nation to hold classes and graduate students, “so it’s steeped in a lot of pride and history and tradition,” said Marlene Barbera, director of sales for the Chapel Hill/ Orange County Visitors Bureau. Though Chapel Hill is a small, friendly Southern town, UNC’s prestige draws students from around the world, giving it an international flair. The university always has something going on — concerts, plays, sporting events — and Barbera can also leverage UNC professors and faculty to lead workshops and speak at conferences. “There are a lot of resources for people who want to tap into what the university has to offer,” she said. On campus, the Friday Conference Center is the

Southern Meeting Guide

most-used meeting venue, with 25,000 square feet of event space in 25 meetings rooms as well as a 400-seat auditorium and a sunlight-filled central atrium. At the Carolina Club in the George Watts Hill Alumni Center, a 7,200-square-foot ballroom can be split into three spaces that each open onto the adjoining terrace. The school’s historic Morehead Planetarium and Science Center houses the State Dining Room, which can seat up to 150 for meals, although organizers must donate in addition to paying the rental fee to use the venue. Groups can also rent two different levels in the Blue Zone at Kenan Memorial Stadium, home of the Tar Heels. The visitors bureau can also help arrange guided tours of campus, private tours of the Ackland Art Museum and behind-the-scenes tours of the Dean Smith Center, where the men’s basketball team, which last year won the NCAA National Championship, plays. www.visitchapelhill.org

Gainesville, Florida

As home to the University of Florida, “there’s always something going on” in Gainesville, said Kelly Aleman, tourism sales manager for Visit Gainesville/Alachua

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County. There are arts and cultural events, sporting events and games, and many attractions that are either free or nearly free, she said. On campus, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Harn Museum of Art are both free for visitors to explore, and both are available for after-hours event rentals and have classroom space for smaller daytime events. Another on-campus option is the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, affectionately known as “The Swamp,” where the Florida Gators football team plays. Groups can reserve the Holloway Touchdown Terrace, which can accommodate 450-person events, or the Evans Champions Club, which can host 600 guests for receptions and 450 for seated meals. “You can have the football field below and views of the campus as you’re having your meeting or event in the stadium,” Aleman said. Although the campus doesn’t have its own conference facility, it offers a variety of lecture halls, auditoriums and classrooms, and with “so many different types of people that work for the university, getting an educated and qualified speaker for an event is almost easy,” Aleman said. The Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville sits just across the street from campus and is the city’s largest meeting venue, with more than 25,000 square feet of function space and 248 guest rooms. The hotel just wrapped up a $15 million renovation of the property in late 2017, Aleman said. The lakefront Wyndham Garden Gainesville sits about 1.5 miles south of campus and has about 14,000 square feet of conference space, and the Best Western Gateway Grand offers more than 8,000 square feet for conferences. Other off-campus options are the Historic Thomas Center and the Hippodrome State Theatre. www.visitgainesville.com

and a private suite for up to 50 attendees, as well as a dining room, an executive conference room, several small meeting rooms and an atrium for breaks or receptions. Neyland Stadium, where the Tennessee Volunteers football team plays, has several event spaces, including the Wolf-Kaplan Center for up to 225 people and the Tennessee Terrace, with indoor-outdoor space that can accommodate 300 guests. Depending on availability, groups may also be able to arrange for stadium tours, Rowan said. The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture on campus is free to visitors and can be reserved for events. Groups can also incorporate campus tours to see UT icons such as The Rock, a giant boulder-turned-community-billboard in the middle of campus that anybody can paint, and the statue of Pat Summitt, the former Lady Vols basketball coach who led the program to eight national titles and 18 Final Four appearances. www.visitknoxville.com

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama’s (UA’s) famed Crimson Tide football tradition means pretty much everyone knows where to find Tuscaloosa. The university has put the city of 100,000 residents in the spotlight, and “you’ll hear a lot of times that people identify Tuscaloosa as the

Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee, is a “super awesome, culturally diverse city, and we’ve grown a lot in the past five years,” said Sarah Rowan, senior director of sales for Visit Knoxville. Although the University of Tennessee is a major part of the city’s scene — visitors will see thousands of tailgaters supporting the Tennessee Volunteers on a football weekend in the fall — when it’s an off week or when school’s out, “we still have a lot going on,” she said, including a huge music scene, lots of craft breweries and world-class theaters that draw both national and international acts. The UT Conference Center sits a few blocks off campus in the heart of downtown, next to the Knoxville Convention Center. The conference facility has a 4,300-square-foot ballroom that can seat up to 300 for dinners, a 150-seat auditorium

February 2018

Courtesy Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commissions

Denny Chimes is a landmark on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.

home of the University of Alabama,” said Jasmine Rainey, director of tourism development for Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports. Even if they’re meeting off campus, most planners want to incorporate the university in some way, often with a tour of the famous Bryant-Denny Stadium. But for on-campus meetings, the Bryant Conference Center is UA’s dedicated event venue, with more than 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the largest of which is the 9,700-square-foot Sellers Auditorium, which can seat 1,000 people theater-style. “A great thing about that venue is it is literally right next to the only hotel on campus,” Rainey said. Hotel Capstone is a full-service property with 150 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of event space, along with the on-site Legends Bistro restaurant, an outdoor pool, a coffee shop and a lounge. Also on campus, the Alabama Museum of Natural History is in the 1910 Beaux Arts Smith Hall and is available for after-hours rentals. Guests can mingle in the 2,300-square-foot Grand Gallery, which features a barrel-vaulted ceiling, a wraparound mezzanine and a soaring Basilosaurus cetoides dinosaur fossil. The Bryant Museum is another way for groups to “Roll Tide.” The lobby can accommodate after-hours receptions for 150 guests, and rental includes access to exhibits of the Crimson Tide’s legacy from 1892 to the present. www.visittuscaloosa.com

10 RE A SONS TO MEET ON THE

NORTHSHORE

In St. Tammany Parish, aka Louisiana’s Northshore, we’re close to everything and have the perfect venues for hosting meetings of all kinds. See our website for the “Top 10 Reasons” to plan your next meeting with us! • 45 Minutes From New Orleans • Convention Facilities Available • Customized Itineraries • Venues For All Types Of Meetings • And So Much More...

8 0 0 - 6 3 4 - 9 4 4 3 • w w w. L o u i s i a n a Nor t h s h or e .c om /10 m e e t 28

Southern Meeting Guide

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The South After Hours By Rachel Carter

By Rory Doyle, courtesy Grammy Museum MS

After-hours visitors can try their hands making music at the Grammy Museum Mississippi.

here’s something special about getting after-hours access to public places. All the daytime visitors leave, the doors close and the venue comes back to life at night for private events.

February 2018

Whether it’s playing electronic instruments, strolling through verdant rose gardens, steering a ship’s wheel or shadowboxing with Muhammad Ali, these Southern after-hours venues mix it up for meeting attendees and make it easy for planners to keep events interesting.

Grammy Museum Mississippi Cleveland, Mississippi

The Mississippi Delta is world-renowned as the birthplace of the blues. Though Clarksdale is home to the infamous Crossroads, Cleveland is now home to the new Grammy Museum Mississippi, which opened in 2016. The 28,000-square-foot museum is affiliated with the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, so although it’s located in the heart of Mississippi blues country, the museum celebrates all great music: rock ’n’ roll, R&B, hip-hop, classical, country and jazz. But among the galleries and exhibits, the museum does reserve a moment for its heritage. The Mississippi Music Table is a crowd favorite and “an area that’s special to our history” where visitors can learn about Mississippi music-makers and award winners, said sales manager Carlee Calderon. The 5,400-square-foot wraparound Paul and Lucy

Janoush Front Porch offers views of the museum’s sculpture garden and plaza. Alone, it can seat about 200 for dinner, or groups can pair it with the museum’s sleek lobby for seated meals for up to 330 guests or mixand-mingle receptions for up to about 500 people. The spaces can even be used before hours; Calderon has hosted buffet-style breakfast events in the lobby. The lobby “flows right into the exhibits, which we always include in our rentals, so there’s a fun entertainment aspect to that event,” she said. Along with the Mississippi Music Table, visitors love the Roland Room, which has eight stations where guests can put on headphones to listen to themselves play electronic drums, guitar and keyboards, sing or mix at the DJ station. Sanders Soundstage is a 130-seat theater that, along with a 25-person classroom and a 14-person conference room, is also available during business hours. www.grammymuseumms.org

Clinton Presidential Center Little Rock, Arkansas

President Bill Clinton chose to build his library and museum in an abandoned industrial warehouse district

in Little Rock, Arkansas. Now, 14 years after its opening, the center is a glass jewel box perched in the middle of a 30-acre urban park on the banks of the Arkansas River that’s an extension of the city’s walkable downtown and accessible by the streetcar. The modern glass building opened in 2004 and is available both during the day and for after-hours events. The Grand Hall and adjoining terrace is the center’s largest event space at more than 5,000 square feet and with ceilings that are more than 30 feet high and “beautiful views of downtown through the glass walls,” said catering manager Paige Thurmond. Paired with the gallery and atrium areas just outside the Great Hall, the space can handle upward of 750 people for receptions or about 400 for seated meals. The on-site restaurant, 42 Bar and Table, reopened in November after extensive renovations that included a new private dining room for 20 people, new seating and a new bar, along with fire pits and lounge chairs on the outdoor patio. The patio and flat terrace space below it face the Arkansas River, where the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge glows with LED lights, “so there’s a light show every night,” said Ben Thielemier, communications manager with the Clinton Foundation. Groups will often do progressive dinners or receptions at stations set up throughout the center. The museum recently changed its policies, so after-hours events aren’t allowed access to exhibit galleries; but

groups can still include tours before an event. The park offers plenty of options for company picnics and corporate barbecues, and the nearby Choctaw Station is a refurbished historic train depot where 150-person receptions can use the lobby and 40-person meetings can use the on-site classroom. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org

Muhammad Ali Center Louisville, Kentucky

Muhammad Ali lived his life according to six core principles: dedication, confidence, spirituality, conviction, respect and giving. At the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, after visitors exit the orientation theater, they enter exhibit pavilions dedicated to each of those six core principles. Throughout other exhibits, visitors learn about Ali’s “Red Bike Moment” - the pivotal moment that steered him to boxing — and can try shadowboxing with the Champ himself in Ali’s re-created training camp exhibit. During after-hours events, the center can keep exhibits open for attendees for an additional fee, and guided tours can be arranged through the center’s education department, said Morgan Boone, special events and sales coordinator. The center also has a scavenger hunt that can be customized to tie into an event’s theme. The 6,700-square-foot View Pointe Hall on the sixth

THE RIVER MARKET DISTRICT, LITTLE ROCK

DESTINATIONS Naturally Made

When it comes to playing host to meetings, trade shows and conferences, The Natural State is a popular destination. Our combination of modern facilities, affordable lodging and tons of things to see and do before and after your meeting highlights just a few of the reasons to plan your next event in Arkansas. To learn more, visit arkansasgrouptravel.com or call 501-682-7777. What will you make in Arkansas?

Southern Meeting Guide

Arkansas.com

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— and top — floor is the center’s main event space and has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Ohio River. The room can seat up to 400 at rounds or up to 500 for receptions and comes with the 1,225-squarefoot outdoor Torch Terrace. The hall can also be broken into a smaller space, View Pointe North, with 2,500 square feet. Other spaces are the 1,600-square-foot LeRoy Neiman Gallery and the auditorium, which has 158 stadiumstyle theater seats that can be retracted to create an open floor space for up to 120 guests seated at round tables. The 3,200-square-foot main lobby is available only for after-hours events, and the impressive architectural ceiling feature is inspired by Ali’s torch lighting in the 1996 Olympics. www.alicenter.org

American Rose Center Shreveport, Louisiana

At the gardens of the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, meeting attendees can stop and smell the roses on the center’s 20,000 rosebushes in 65 gardens. The center has two main buildings: One houses the administrative offices of the American Rose Society, and the other is the events center. There, groups can use the 3,200-square-foot event rooms for daytime meetings or evening events, said event coordinator Lou Kerr.

From the event room, guests can access the adjoining 600-square-foot covered terrace off the back of the events building. Straight down from the terrace is a large reflection pool area that doubles as another function space. To the right of the terrace is the David Austin Garden for receptions, where groups will be surrounded by David Austin Roses. “We have 118 acres of rose gardens; plus, we have these beautiful trees, so we’re pretty year-round,” Kerr said. Rose season runs April through October, and peak blooming seasons are mid- to late May and mid-September to mid-October. And although there aren’t any roses in the winter, the gardens sparkle with lights during Christmas in Roseland season. In addition to several garden event spaces, people can also use an on-site chapel that can hold 140 people for gatherings or receptions. Planners can incorporate guided tours of the gardens for attendees to learn about the care and cultivation of roses. During the All About the Roses experience, groups can tour the grounds, including the test gardens and the horizon garden, which showcases some of the newest roses; the tour can be followed by a group tasting of rose teas and jellies. www.rose.org

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February 2018 or call 855-270-8733 for more information

Golf the South By Rachel Carter

Courtesy WV Tourism

Meeting attendees can play on five golf courses at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.

s a sport, golf has taken some hits in recent years — some view it as too expensive or too elitist — but the game is making a comeback in a big way. Deals are still done on the golf course, and golf is often still part of meetings.

The South is particularly attractive for golf, with its mild weather and year-round greens. Golf destinations are trying to make the greens more accessible, from golf classes and workshops to inclusive options like foot golf, night golf and driving ranges that double as entertainment venues.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia, may be most famous for Colonial Williamsburg, the living, historic re-creation of a Revolutionary-era town; but the city is also known for golf, and planners can include the best of both in their events. The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club at Colonial Williamsburg features 45 holes over three courses, all designed by the father-and-son team of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Rees Jones. The Gold Course is the most popular and reopened this past July after extensive renovation. Other options include the 18-hole Green Course and the nine-hole Spotswood Course. The club offers group lessons, clinics, structured tournaments, night golf and casual receptions on the driving range, said Dominique Holt, associate director of conference sales and marketing for Visit Williamsburg. Of Colonial Williamsburg’s six hotels, three have

Southern Meeting Guide

meeting space. The Williamsburg Lodge, which recently became part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, is the most popular for meetings, Holt said, and has the most event space, with 45,000 square feet. Near the Gold Course and clubhouse, the Williamsburg Inn is a luxury property with 6,500 square feet of meeting space, the largest of which is the 3,900-square-foot Regency Room. The Williamsburg Woodlands hotel has a conference center with 13,000 square feet of flexible function space. Five miles away, on the banks of the historic James River, Kingsmill Resort has two 18-hole golf courses as well as a golf academy and year-round golf school. “The River Course is literally on the river, and it is one of the most beautiful courses you’ll see,” Holt said. The resort’s 16,000-square-foot, IACC-certified conference center also delivers river views, and the 6,050-squarefoot James River Grand Ballroom can be split into four smaller rooms. Ford’s Colony Country Club has 54 holes on three courses designed by Dan Maples, and the club has a variety of event spaces, including a 78-capacity banquet room, a 60-person dining room and the Garden Pavilion, which can host events for up to 220 guests. www.williamsburgcc.com

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Golden Isles, Georgia

Four islands comprise Georgia’s Golden Isles: St. Simons, Little St. Simons, Sea Island and Jekyll Island, as well as the mainland peninsula that is home to the historic city of Brunswick. Both Sea Island and Little St. Simons Island are private and accessible only to guests of the islands’ resorts. St. Simons Island is the largest and most populated Golden Isle, so it’s popular with visitors who want to be in the middle of the action. The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort is a beachfront property on the island. The resort’s largest event space, the 2,880-square-foot Lanier Ballroom, has a large prefunction assembly area in an atrium. The resort also has several oceanfront event spaces, including the 2,655-square-foot Delegal Room on the ground floor; the second-story Retreat Room, which can seat 80 for meals; and the Oceanfront Lawn. The resort’s 18-hole course is known for its challenging layout, which features salt marshes and forests and a large lake on the ninth hole. The Sea Palms Resort and Conference Center is also on the island, and its clubhouse, conference center and restaurant are all under one roof. The conference center’s largest space, a 3,300-square-foot ballroom, can seat up to 300 for meals, and the center has several other flexible conference rooms. Sea Palms has an 18-hole and a nine-hole course where attendees can opt to play “foot golf,” a combination of golf and soccer.

February 2018

On Jekyll Island, golfers will find 63 holes of golf over four courses at the Jekyll Island Golf Club. McCormick’s Grill at the club serves breakfast and lunch and is also available for private events for up to 120 people. www.goldenisles.com

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

In 1967, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had fewer than 10 golf courses. Today, there are nearly 100. “No other destination can match Myrtle Beach not only with its number of courses but its outstanding designs,” said Chris King, spokesman for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the destination marketing organization for the area’s golf courses. For groups looking to gather, the Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club on quiet Pawleys Island has event space for up to 150 people, and each of its guest villas offers a golf course view. On the Jack Nicklausdesigned course, “five of the nine holes on the backside play out over the saltwater tidal marsh,” King said. “Visually, it’s a stunning golf course.” The Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is on the grounds of a historic rice plantation, and an avenue of 150-yearold live oaks leads to the clubhouse entrance. The tented outdoor event area can accommodate up to 400 guests. The Marina Inn at Grande Dunes has event space for up to 700 guests, including the 5,100-square-foot

Nautilus Ballroom, which can be used with the prefunction area, the outdoor loggia and the Grande Lawn. The resort also has a variety of smaller conference and meeting rooms. Eight of the 18 holes at the Grande Dunes Resort Course play along the intercoastal waterway. The Tidewater Golf Club is one of the area’s iconic layouts, and the Dunes Golf and Beach Club was the city’s second golf course; the first was built in 1927 at the Pine Lakes Country Club and is today known as “The Granddaddy.” Though neither the Tidewater nor the Dunes has much event space, they “are without question our premier golf courses,” King said. www.golfholiday.com

Southeastern West Virginia

Courtesy Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday

Myrtle Beach’s Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is on the grounds of a historic rice plantation.

Although they’re an hour’s drive apart, the sister resorts of the Greenbrier and the Resort at Glade Springs pair perfectly as complementary golf destinations in southeastern West Virginia. When Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier and current governor of West Virginia, bought Glade Springs in 2010, he said the sister resort relationship offered both properties “the opportunity to present a broader range of options in price and quality to their many loyal guests and corporate clients.” The 4,100-acre Glade Springs Resort has three 18-hole courses. The Stonehaven Course loops around both sides of Chatham Lake and through a forest of maple,

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beech, hickory and oak trees. The Cobb Course got its name from its designer, George Cobb; the newest addition, the Woodhaven Course, was completed in 2010 and offers players views of the gorge and mountains. The resort has more than 19,000 square feet of conference space in the 48-guest-room inn and in the clubhouse. In the inn, the Glade Room has nearly 3,500 square feet for dinners with up to 330 guests; the Bright Ballroom is more than 3,300 square feet, and the 2,350-square-foot Woodland Room can be divided into three smaller spaces. Planners can opt for themed events, such as an Appalachian Mountain Festival with quilt-covered tables, oil lanterns and buffets filled with West Virginia favorites. The resort’s team-building academy offers a variety of programs that range from full-day to twohour options. The historic Greenbrier resort has five courses, and the Old White TPC course reopened in July following a complete restoration for the 2017 Greenbrier Classic, a PGA Tour FedEx Cup Event. It is now open to public play. The Greenbrier’s conference facilities include more than 130,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with 40 breakout rooms and a 16,500-square-foot exhibit hall. www.gladesprings.com www.greenbrier.com

Courtesy WV Tourism Office

The Resort at Glade Springs offers numerous activities beyond golf, including guided horseback rides.

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